Port City Custom Works LLC
Burgaw

Number of employees: 1
 
Year founded: 2020
 
Top local official: Ethan Byrd, owner
 
Company description: Port City Custom Works is a custom marine decking manufacturer.
 
Products made locally: The company uses technology to customize decking designs of EVA marine-grade foam for boats, coolers, fish rulers and more. Each foam product is custom fit, most often on boats, utilizing varied designs. Port City Custom Works manufactures and installs the products for clients.
 
Product distribution: The greater Wilmington area, Myrtle Beach, Charlotte, Raleigh, Washington and more. Clients are finding the company via social media ads.
 
What made the company decide to make its goods locally? Byrd: “The reason I got into this, there’s nobody really in the Wilmington area that does this. The closest competition is in Morehead City. I just kind of saw a need and filled it.”
 
What’s your target market? Byrd: “Basically anybody with a boat. If you’ve got a used boat, anything from an old jonboat to a yacht, we can customize it specifically for your boat. I’ve got a tool that allows me to scan it and fit it perfectly to each boat.” Byrd said he also has contracts with boat manufacturers to supply foam decking kits for new boats.
 
What’s planned next? Byrd: “My biggest thing this year is I’m planning on training somebody and hiring at least one person because I’m getting busy. As soon as the warm weather hits, everybody wants it on their boat now. Other than that, I want to expand my online sales and set up a shop online, maybe on Instagram, and sell smaller products like cooler pads, helm pads, fish rulers – smaller stuff I can ship to people.”

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EDITOR’S NOTE: To be considered for the Greater Wilmington Business Journal’s MADE feature, contact [email protected].